The Origin of Speech

by Peter MacNeilage

Book Overview

This book explores the origin and evolution of speech. The human speech system is in a league of its own in the animal kingdom and its possession dwarfs most other evolutionary achievements. During every second of speech we unconsciously use about 225 distinct muscle actions. To investigate the evolutionary origins of this prodigious ability, Peter MacNeilage draws on work in linguistics, cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and animal behaviour...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019923650X
• ISBN13: 9780199236503
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 2.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.2"